It wasn't until I owned my first Iguana (named Conan), that I realized I wanted
to try and pursue a career in herpetology (or something related). Even
though I haven't found that career yet, I still haven't given up hope.
Therefore, I think keeping herps as pets can be very important in helping ones'
interest blossom into something more serious. Herps make great pets,
however, they are not exactly easy pets. Anyone who decides they want a
cold-blooded pet needs to be aware of the dedication it takes. Iguanas,
for example, are easily found at a cheap price in almost any pet store, but
beware! If the new owner isn't ready and aware of an Iguanas' needs, they can be unpleasantly surprised when their pet becomes sick or unmanageable
(a six foot bull Iguana that doesn't like people is a force to be reckoned
with).

Don't be discouraged, however! There are several herps that make great
first-time cold-blooded pets. For example, in my mind there is no better
"starter herp" than the Corn Snake (Elaphe guttata). If
acquired young, they can become very accustomed to human handling, they are
beautiful snakes that grow to a fair size (four to five foot), and compared to
other snakes they have simple husbandry requirements. There is a bad habit
among people who are interested in getting into herpetoculture (the hobby of
keeping herps as pets) of needing to start large and extravagant. All too
often, this results in a discouraged owner with a large, unmanageable Nile
Monitor Lizard or Red-tailed Boa Constrictor. Remember, having a
cold-blooded pet is extravagant in-and-of-itself. No need to make it a bad
experience by obtaining a species that should be left for herpetoculturists with
a little more experience. Some day, that will be you!

Remember
these rules of thumb for beginners:

1)Start small and
manageable

2)Do extensive research of
your desired pet (i.e., make sure you know it's adult size, what kind of habitat
it likes in the wild etc.)

3)Make sure that the
pet-shop employee you are talking to is knowledgeable about herp care. Many of them are great,
however, some don't know a salamander from a lizard (let alone how they should be cared for in captivity).
You will generally get much better information from employees in small
(non-chain) pet stores that specialize in herps.

4)Avoid wild-caught herps!

Good
starter herps:

Corn Snakes

Certain species of King
Snakes

Garter Snakes

Bearded Dragons

Leopard Geckos

Fat-tailed Geckos

Not for
the faint-of-heart:

Any large constrictor
(boas, pythons, anacondas)

Any crocodilians (caimans,
alligators)

Monitor Lizards
(savannahs, niles, Dumerils, etc.)

True Chameleons (Jacksons',
Parsons', etc.)

Iguanas

Collard Lizards

REMARKS ON
THE ILLEGAL TRAFFICKING Of ANIMALS

Wild animals are "wild" for a reason. Although, I am a big
proponent of keeping herps as pets, I'm an even bigger supporter of them
surviving in the wild until, evolutionarily, their time is up.
Unfortunately, many species will not exist long enough on this planet for their
time of departure to be decided by nature. In other words, the actions of
humans have sped up the processes that cause animals to go extinct. While
habitat destruction is probably the largest reason for declines in animal
populations world-wide, the illegal trafficking of exotic or endangered species
contributes significantly to diminishing animal populations.

What can
you do?

First of all, you can do everything in your power to determine if an animal that
your interested in buying has been captive-bred or wild-caught. Ask your
local pet store about an animal before you purchase it. If they don't know
where it came from, chances are it's an animal that was removed from the wild. I know
it's hard, but try to avoid these individuals as pets. Not only do they
usually not fair well in captivity, it is one way in which their populations are
being diminished in the wild. There are many captive-bred herps, which
make good pets and you should try to focus on these.

Here's a
list of herps that are likely to be captive-bred (this list is not
all-inclusive):

Corn Snakes or King Snakes
with exotic color morphs

Green Iguanas

Bearded Dragons

Leopard Geckos

In some instances,
juvenile or hatchling individuals of a given species

Many snakes with color
patterns that are exotic or abnormal for their species have been specifically
bred to look that way. These snakes are likely captive-bred individuals.